This invention relates to a wire maze toy.
A conventional wire maze toy comprises a wooden base on which are mounted the two ends of an essentially rigid wire bent into an interesting shape, such as loops and spirals. The wire carries free moving, brightly colored beads, which are typically made of wood. A child can move the beads along the wire into different patterns. This activity exercises the child""s counting ability, strategic thinking, spatial awareness and physical dexterity. When carried out in conjunction with a teacher or parent, this activity can also assist in development of language skills, educating the child with respect to words of position and orientation such as top, bottom, middle, over, under, left, right, through, up and down. When the wires and beads are of multiple colors and the beads are of different shapes, they can be used to teach color and shape recognition.
Wire maze toys that are currently commercially available employ multiple wires. This mode of construction is relatively complicated and expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,268 discloses a wire maze toy in which the opposite ends of a single length of wire are joined to provide an endless frame. The wire is bent to form multiple curves and the curves of the wire at the bottom of the toy lie in a plane to form a flat supporting surface for the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,268 suggests that the opposite ends of the wire may be secured together by spot welding or by fitting the ends of the wire in a tube. However, none of the techniques disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,268 for joining the ends of the wire has been found to be completely satisfactory. For example, use of a connecting sleeve in which the two opposite ends of the wire are fitted results in the frame being thicker at the location of the sleeve than elsewhere, which can make it difficult for a child to move the beads past the joint.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a wire maze toy comprising an endless wire frame of substantially uniform cross-sectional configuration over its entire length, the wire frame being configured to form multiple curves, and a carriage including two slider members fitted on the wire frame and slidable along the wire frame, and a spring means having two ends connected to the two slider members respectively, the spring means and the wire frame being dimensionally related such that tension in the spring means depends on relative positions of the slider members along the wire frame.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a wire maze toy comprising a substantially rigid wire having two opposite ends, the wire between its ends being bent to form curves and the two opposite ends of the wire being axially aligned and there being an axial hole in each end of the wire, a dowel pin having two opposite ends received respectively in the axial holes in the two opposite ends of the wire, material bonding the two opposite ends of the dowel pin to the two opposite ends respectively of the wire, and a slider member fitted on the wire and slidable along the wire.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention there is provided a wire maze toy comprising a substantially rigid wire having two opposite ends, the wire between its ends being bent to form multiple curves, and a carriage including two slider members fitted on the wire and slidable along the wire, and a spring means having two ends connected to the two slider members respectively, the spring means and the wire being dimensionally related such that tension in the spring means depends on relative positions of the slider members along the wire.
Broadly stated, in one aspect the invention is concerned with a wire maze toy in which the wire is endless. This type of toy is well suited for a child engaged in manipulative play, and because the toy is light and sturdy, it can be carried from location to location. Because it is not necessary to place the toy on a table or other flat surface, the toy is particularly convenient for engaging the attention of a child when traveling. In another broad aspect, the present invention is concerned with a wire maze toy in which two or more beads, and preferably at least three beads, are threaded on the wire and are interconnected by tension springs so that a child playing with the toy can observe that movement of one bead along the wire may influence another bead otherwise than by direct contact.